Haroeh BaCafe

March 2016How we love a restaurant in a rural setting, and Haroeh BaCafe fills the bill. Kfar Haroeh is a yeshuv off Route 4, east of Netanya/Hadera, in the area that is called "The Five Towns." It is about 30 minutes north of Raanana. The settlement was founded in 1933, and was named after Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook, the first Ashkenazi rav and the founder of Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav Kook. The Rav's religious zionist philosophy was the spiritual inspiration of the yeshuv.

Kfar Horoeh has come a long way since its founding. Gone the original red-roofed stucco houses, replaced by beautiful modern homes. Waze will take you to Haroeh BaCafe Restaurant, at the far end of the yeshuv, through a great architectural tour for the price of the gas.

Haroeh BaCafe is one of the great secrets of kosher dining in Israel. Out of the way,
not well marked, and not advertised, you have to know it is there to find it. You'll know that you have arrived by the parking lot outside the restaurant. There is a second overflow lot, so if it is full there is no need to be concerned about parking.

Haroeh BaCafe is located on the Shickler family property. There is seating in their beautifully landscaped garden, or in the recently expanded and renovated indoor space. The restaurant has been operating for over 16 years. Recently renovated, the indoor and the outdoor space has been modernized and expanded, while retaining the informal relaxed, "villagy" atmosphere.

This is a family restaurant. Management are members of the family. A bakery on the premises, also a family enterprise, provides the restaurant's amazing cakes and deserts. More on that below. The family has learned a thing or two about running a restaurant in the last 16 years. This is a very professional dining experience. From the cleverly presented menu to the delicious dishes to the fine service, Haroeh BaCafe is one of the very good kosher dairy dining experiences.

About The Haroeh BaCafe Menu

We chose seats in the spacious indoor area. Good lighting and a friendly color pallet make this a very welcoming space. The menus in Hebrew and English are meant to look like grade school copybooks, adding a whimsical note to the dining experience. The Hebrew menu is one out-sized, laminated card printed on both sides. The English menu is a spiral notebook. We were impressed by the cleanliness of the cards.

Haroeh BaCafe offers seasonal dishes a variety of salads, pastas, fish dishes, sandwiches, breakfasts and dinner meals.
We started our dinner with the soup of the day, pea soup. The generous portion of soup was a bit spicy and had some unusual flavoring that my companion appreciated. For our main course we shared a lasagna and a wheat salad.

I like to choose representational dishes for the write ups.
"Are the dishes that we chose, popular dishes?" I asked.
The Lasagna, we were told, was one of the favorites, and indeed we saw several lasagna platters at other tables.
The lasagna was brought to our table in a too-hot-to-touch dish. It was just as I like it, weak on pasta and strong on vegetables. It was served with a small plain fresh salad. Wheat salad is new on the menu, but I can tell you now, that it is going to be a hit. It is a delicious combination of grains and fresh vegetables, peppered with cranberries. The cranberries give it a sweet/sour flavor and an attractive appearance. This is an all together healthy and delicious dish.

Haroeh BaCafe offers many other dishes. On the high end there are several fish choices, and going lighter there is pizza and many sandwiches. You could visit this restaurant any time of day and find just the dish to suit you.

After a meal like this, dessert will be a challenge. You must gather your forces and meet the challenge, for the desserts at Haroeh BaCafe are worth it. This appears to be the go-to place for birthdays. At least three tables celebrated with outrageous desserts and sparklers. A team of waiters deliver the dessert to the table, making this an even more festive event. I know where I am going in May, for my birthday.

Shoshana's Cakes - pastry shop

Adjacent to the cafe is another family enterprise - the charming Shoshana's bakery. Every day the bakery produces unique desserts. These are served at the restaurant or they can be purchased independently. A visit to Shoshana's Cakes will be a little trip to a Parisian patisserie where you will enjoy coffee and delicious sweets..Cakes can be ordered for private parties.

Click here for a 10% discount coupon on your next order at Haroeh BaCafe. Print out this coupon and present it at the restaurant.